No human can work around the clock, doing repetitive manual tasks without a single error. Yet with PAX and CREW data regulations, there is no room for mistakes. To better protect their business, Global Jet decided to use PnrGo’s automated solution.
Global Jet is a private company established in 1999, with 10 offices around the world. Their services include aircraft management, charter brokerage, sales, and aircraft interior design. The company manages private and commercial aircraft, serving international corporations, institutions, and high-net-worth individuals. Their diverse fleets currently comprises over 50 aircraft, with more than 35 unique types, ranging from Phenom 300 to Boeing 747. We have asked Alfred Ebbers, Flight Dispatch Director at Global Jet, with a wealth of experience in the business aviation industry, to tell us what prompted his company to choose PnrGo and how it improved their compliance and efficiency.
Challenge: Finding a PAX & CREW data transfer solution for an aircraft management company
When the EU countries started to implement strict regulations on PNR data transfer following the 2016 PNR Directive, many air operators were suddenly put at risk of severe fines for non-compliance and started looking for a solution. Global Jet was among them.
However, they faced an additional challenge. “You see, we are not an airline where you have only commercial flights. We are an aircraft management company,” says Alfred. “This means that our fleet and operation is quite complex. We operate a mix of private, semi-private, and full-charter flights, and for some aircraft, we switch between one mode and the other. On top of that, the number of passengers can change up to the last minute.”
Since Global Jet operates flights not only within the EU, but also in the U.S. and worldwide, they needed a solution that could follow the correct set of rules for private APIS and commercial APIS, without limiting the flexibility of their fleet.
Solution: Customizing data transfer with PnrGo
Back then, Alfred attended an EBAA forum in Brussels where PNR software providers were invited to join in the talks about the new PNR regulations. That is where he first came across PnrGo.
“I talked to other providers,” admits Alfred, “but with PnrGo, I had a feeling that you were much more focused on ‘delivering a full-scale solution’, and one that works for business aviation. Plus, there was the impression you gave on the outside – it’s easy to work with you, guys.”
As a short-term remedy, Global Jet went for PnrGo’s semi-automated solution, using an Excel integration, which in their case was easier to implement. In the long run, they knew they needed a deeper integration that could bring more automation. However, their ‘edge’ case required a highly customized version of PnrGo’s solution. “We worked a lot with Tomasz – we had endless meetings,” Alfred recalls. “We needed quite a complex set of rules to ensure that we’re legally compliant by making the right judgment on how to classify a flight, especially with the U.S. APIS. That’s why it took some time to discuss how the customization should work. But we accomplished it!”
“We really appreciate Global Jet’s input into our products. It resulted in many practical and valuable improvements,” says Tomasz Lewandowski, the Product Owner at PnrGo. “Thanks to Alfred’s engagement, analytical approach, and openness, we were able to set clear objectives and harmonize our process in the most optimal way.”
Integration with Leon Software and PnrGo’s Sanctions Screening functionality
The shift towards the completely automated use of PnrGo was made when Global Jet decided to implement a new flight scheduling tool, and found Leon Software. The fact that Leon Software and PnrGo had already had an integration in place turned out to be a bonus. Everything – including alerts and notifications – is connected and easily accessible. There is no need to log into two separate systems!
Today, Global Jet uses not only the automated API and PNR transfers, but also the Sanctions Screening functionality (which PnrGo enables in Leon). “We have a moral and legal responsibility towards our aircraft owners, especially the ones allowing their aircraft to be used for charter, to make sure that all passengers are compliant with various sanction regulations,” Alfred emphasizes.
The PnrGo system allows users to customize the sanctions alert trigger themselves by setting up the results threshold (e.g. to be only notified if a passenger got a 90% match or higher). Global Jet asked PnrGo to customize the sanctions screening function a bit more. “By default, the list of screened passengers was displayed alphabetically, and we preferred this list to be ordered by the screening results – from the highest percentage to the lowest,” Alfred explains. Now, they have it working as requested.
Result: 24/7/365 compliance, with reduced risk of human error
Alfred Ebbers admits that using PnrGo gives him and his colleagues the ease of mind when it comes to regulatory compliance with API, PNR, and sanctions regimes.
“PnrGo has its methods to identify mistakes and send notifications. So, the automatic transfer of data is safeguarded by the system,” Alfred adds. “What I like is that your support team also follows up the flights and in case they see some issues, they always inform us – despite the fact that we already get all the automatic warnings. That’s a really good thing.”
For Global Jet the switch was gradual – through the XLS integration to full automation. Still, Alfred considers it to have a big impact on the workload of his team. “If I look at our current workforce, that would probably be at least two full-time employees 365 days per year, no breaks. But a human has limitations in terms of availability. The biggest advantage of automation is that it is available to us 24/7 and runs by itself. That’s a big gain.”
If you are also interested in our time-saving solutions for dispatch, flight, and ground operations teams, contact one of our Sales Representatives to discuss your business needs.
